Interreligious dialogue Catholic Clooney, Francis Xavier; Francis Xavier Clooney; Wittgenstein, Ludwig; Ludwig Wittgenstein; Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen; Tson-kha-pa Blo-bzan-grags-pa; World-pictures
摘要
This dissertation draws resources from three primary sources to create a useful conceptual picture of theological dialogues that are difficult because of large conceptual differences among participants, and it offers concrete guidelines to help foster understanding. The methodological insights are drawn from the Hindu-Christian comparative theology of Francis X. Clooney, S.J., particularly from his latest book Divine Mother, Blessed Mother, the analysis of the situation is drawn from the linguistic philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, particularly his exposition of the functioning of “language-games” in his Philosophical Investigations and “world-pictures” in On Certainty; and a still unresolved debate within medieval Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism between gzhan stong and rang stong pictures of the world, characterized respectively by Dolpopa and Tsongkhapa, provides a testing ground and critique to the developing approach.
The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a method of engaging in dialogue that is tenable for contemporary Catholic Christians and useful for engaging others whose beliefs are quite different. It allows Christians to affirm the truth of their own beliefs while simultaneously affording the same to others with whom we disagree, and offers guidelines about how to proceed amidst the differences. Neither side has to conceptually concede to the views of the other as a condition of dialogue. The goal is for each side to learn about and from the differing beliefs of others, rather than for the two sides to come to agreement. It is natural to think of this as a method of interreligious dialogue, and it should work well in interreligious dialogues, but this kind of dialogue is sometimes needed between members of one religious tradition as well.
